


What a Tangled Web

by ScienceFantasy93



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Angst, Apologies, Arthur is sort of closeted, But he's working on it, Coming Out, Explanations, He just wants Merlin, He's sort of an idiot, Idiots in Love, M/M, Mutual Pining, Strong Language, but he knows it, in case you couldn't tell by the summary, they're just so stupid
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-07
Updated: 2021-02-07
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:54:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29255532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScienceFantasy93/pseuds/ScienceFantasy93
Summary: Everyone thinks Arthur is at a party to see Gwen. In reality, he's only there for Merlin. If only he could get to Merlin to let him know.Or: Every single fucking person gets in Arthur's way to Merlin. And Arthur is not having any of that shit tonight.
Relationships: Mentioned Gwen/Lancelot, Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin), past Arthur/Gwen
Comments: 18
Kudos: 224





	What a Tangled Web

**Author's Note:**

> This idea has been playing around in my head for the last few days, and I finally just had to write it out. As always, Merlin never freaking does what I tell him to do, but maybe that's a good thing in this 🤔
> 
> Enjoy!

Arthur can hear the house party from the end of the street.  
  
The blocks in this area of the city pretty much belong to the university, where uni students share ramshackle houses and flats, depending on how many roommates they can stand and how much they can afford to pay. Arthur has a flat a few blocks over that he rents out with a friend of his, but he and Percival are practically the only people he knows who can afford to share a two bedroom flat in Camelot – a small town known for its namesake of Camelot University – and not have to live off of pot noodles and re-used teabags.  
  
Arthur shivers in the icy November air and pulls his jacket tighter around his body. A part of him is wondering why he’s even bothering to go to this party at all when he’s not even sure he’s really all that welcome. Another part of him is wondering why he didn’t arrive earlier, before the house would be crowded with drunk university students.  
  
He wishes he’d been able to convince Perce to join him at the party, but Perce is the studious type, and he’s freaking out because he’s got a test for one of his classes on Monday and he’s only studied in, like, his free time. Which is nonexistent, because he’s a uni student who’s working a part time job and is also on the football team with Arthur. So Arthur’s not sure what he’s talking about when it comes to free time. Come to think of it, Arthur’s not even sure he has free time tonight. There’s probably some assignment he’s forgotten about and he’ll remember it at like three in the morning. So that’ll be cool. Something to look forward to after the shit show tonight will most likely be.  
  
Arthur approaches the house, gut twisting with anxiety. It’s not a big deal, he tells himself sternly. He’s been in this house dozens of times. He’s friends with the tenants. There’s Lancelot, Gwaine, Leon, and Merlin. Sometimes they have a fifth housemate, usually whichever girl Gwaine is sleeping with at the moment, but currently it’s just the four of them. But rumor has it that Lancelot has recently begun seeing Gwen, so maybe that’ll change soon.  
  
Arthur sighs at the thought of Gwen. His most recent ex. He doesn’t regret the breakup. He’s not heartbroken by any means. But dating her complicated things in a way he never expected, and now he’s not sure what the fuck he’s supposed to do, or where he’s supposed to go from here.  
  
Even though it’s fucking freezing out, the door has been left wide open. Arthur walks into the house and is immediately sweating. With all the body heat it’s way too hot in here, and he can see why they’ve opted to leave the door open. He shucks his jacket in the pile by the door, and ventures further into the house.  
  
Loud music blasts from speakers, and a bunch of guys are crowded around the TV, taking turns playing some game on an Xbox. Arthur shifts around them, keeping his eyes peeled for one of his friends.  
  
“Arthur!”  
  
Gwaine has spotted him first, and Arthur turns with a pleasant smile pasted on his face. Gwaine isn’t at all who he was hoping to see, but beggars can’t be choosers.  
  
“Hey, Gwaine,” he greets him. “All right?”  
  
“Can’t complain.” Gwaine takes a huge swig from his can of beer. “I didn’t think you were coming, mate. You know, on account of you and Gwen.”  
  
Arthur fights back the urge to roll his eyes. For some reason, all his friends have it in his head that he’s absolutely torn up about his breakup with Gwen. And while Gwen is a wonderful person – she’s nice and smart and gorgeous – in the end she’s not what Arthur wants. He knows that now. The problem is that it might be too late for what he actually does want. And that’s not a good feeling.  
  
“What about me and Gwen?” Arthur counters calmly.  
  
“You know, the two of you breaking up. And now she’s seeing Lancelot, so I just figured it’d be awkward.” Gwaine pauses.  
  
“Oh. No, it should be fine.”  
  
“So why are you here?” Gwaine inquires curiously. “You’ve never been one for parties.”  
  
“I’m actually here to see someone.” Arthur doesn’t want to go into details because Gwaine can’t keep his mouth shut to save his life. If Arthur pours his heart out to Gwaine, the entire party is going to know the details and come up with a couple of extra rumors in about five minutes. He’d rather not go through that. Much safer to just be vague.  
  
But Gwaine’s eyes widen in surprise. “You’re here to see someone?” he repeats.  
  
Arthur’s heart sinks. Shit. It’s probably pretty obvious who he wants to see. After all, his relationship with Gwen definitely fucked some stuff up.  
  
“Yeah, but listen, mate – “  
  
“It’s Gwen, isn’t it? Goddammit, Arthur, you’re here to win her back!”  
  
Arthur blinks. This has taken an unexpected turn and he doesn’t think this is any better than the truth. “What?” is about all he can utter, because he can’t figure out why the fuck Gwaine would even think that.  
  
“You don’t have to play coy with me, mate,” Gwaine informs him, as if Arthur is in the habit of playing coy. Arthur can’t remember ever playing coy in his life, much less in the last three minutes. “You’re still in love with Gwen. I told Lancelot it’d be a bad idea to start dating her so soon after your relationship ended, but you know Lancelot, always going on about following his heart and all that horseshit.”  
  
Arthur wants to bang his head against the wall. Gwaine has completely spun what he said into a fucking soap opera. He supposes Gwaine will have him and Lancelot dueling in the street before the night is out.  
  
“I’m not here to see – “  
  
“I’m sure if you explain things all nicely to them, Gwen will let you down easy,” Gwaine continues on, as if this is exactly what Arthur wants to hear. Arthur thinks that if he actually was here to win Gwen back, this little pep talk would probably send him into a downward spiral. “And Lancelot will explain how they’re meant to be together, soulmates, all that romantic fuckery.”  
  
“No, Gwaine, you don’t understand – “  
  
“It’s all right, Arthur, mate, I get it. You don’t want everyone to know that you’re still carrying a torch for Gwen. It’s tragically beautiful. I hope one day you’re able to move on.”  
  
Arthur gapes at Gwaine. “Exactly how much have you drunk?”  
  
Gwaine thinks about that for a moment. “Not counting the whisky?”  
  
“Forget it. Go sob to yourself in a corner.” Arthur shoves past him and instead moves into the kitchen. Morgana and Leon are in there, leaning against the island counter and, despite the crossed arms and defensive stances, clearly flirting. He gags. This night just keeps getting better and better.  
  
Morgana and Leon look around when Arthur nearly spits out his tongue.  
  
“What do you want?” Morgana demands, raising a thin eyebrow.  
  
Arthur raises his own eyebrow back, in a perfect replica of his sister’s signature move. “Something to drink. I’ve been here ten minutes and so far no one has offered to grab me a beer.”  
  
“In the fridge,” Leon tells him, gaze focused on Morgana.  
  
Arthur gives Morgana and Leon a wide berth and opens the refrigerator, extracting a beer and popping the tab. He takes a sip. “You two wouldn’t happen to know where the others are, would you?”  
  
“Well, Gwaine is out there playing host,” Leon begins, “and Lancelot is probably entertaining some of his friends with Gwen – “ He pauses guiltily. “I mean – I’m sorry – I know this has to be really weird for you, Lancelot dating Gwen so soon after your breakup.”  
  
“Gwen and I have been broken up for almost a month,” Arthur reminds him.  
  
“But you were together for almost a year,” Lancelot counters. “And you two made a lovely couple. I don’t blame you for still being heartbroken.”  
  
“I’m not heartbroken.”  
  
“But you’re asking about her – “  
  
“I wasn’t asking about  _ her _ specifically. I wasn’t trying to be subtle. I meant it when I asked where the others are.”  
  
Leon doesn’t look convinced, but a small, knowing smile is playing around Morgana’s mouth, and Arthur has a feeling Morgana might actually be onto the truth. She is his sister, after all. She can read him like a goddamn book. Plus, she’s friends with the others. She probably knows exactly what went wrong.  
  
“Right,” Leon continues on. “Well, obviously I’m here with Morgana, and – “  
  
“And Merlin is upstairs, probably hiding out in his room,” Morgana finishes, eyes glittering. “You know how he feels about parties.”  
  
“He hates them as much as I do,” Arthur recalls, his mouth suddenly very dry. “Of course he’s in his room.”  
  
“But if you hate them so much, why  _ are _ you here?” Leon asks.  
  
“He’s here to see someone,” Morgana tells him.  
  
“But – he just said he’s not here to see Gwen.”  
  
“Is Gwen the only person Arthur’s allowed to be interested in?” Morgana retorts, hands propped on her hips. “Give it a rest, Leon. Tell me more about why your supermarket job is stupid.”  
  
Grateful to his sister for possibly the first time in his life, Arthur slips out of the kitchen, still clutching his beer. He doesn’t really want it, but he has a feeling he’ll stand out more if he’s not carrying a drink. And so he sips it as he heads for the stairs. But before he can get there, he’s suddenly facing Gwen.  
  
He’s not even sure where she came from, but she’s standing right in front of him on the bottom step, a sweet, apologetic smile posed on her face. “Arthur, hi,” she says softly. “I didn’t know you were coming.”  
  
“Last minute decision,” Arthur tells her quickly. “I was bored at home. Thought I’d swing by and say hi.”  
  
“Well, I’m glad you did. I know this has to be a little weird for you – “  
  
“This isn’t weird,” he assures her. “None of this is weird. I’m happy for you. Lancelot is a great guy, and I’m sure the two of you are great together.”  
  
Gwen shrugs. “I just don’t want you to feel hurt.”  
  
“I’m not. I have no reason to be hurt. We broke up almost a month ago. Three and a half weeks ago. It’s fine. I wasn’t hurt by the breakup, and I’m not hurt by you dating Lancelot.”  
  
“Are you sure? Because if it’s too painful, Lancelot and I can be more discreet.”  
  
“Gwen, I’m perfectly fine. Now, I don’t mean to be rude, but I really need to get upstairs.”  
  
“Oh, all right. But so you know, I hope we can still be friends.”  
  
It’s the oldest line in the book, but Arthur knows Gwen means it in the most genuine way possible. And he really has no reason to not want to be her friend. After all, their breakup was a long time coming, whether she’s actually figured it out or not. He suddenly feels a surge of guilt. Their relationship was doomed from the beginning, and she had no idea. He liked her for sure, but in reality she wasn’t the one he really wanted to be with. He’d just been too scared to take that leap with the person he really cared for. And now everyone is feeling sorry for him because as far as they can see, he hasn’t moved on as fast as Gwen. But the truth is, he’s been moving on since their very first date. It’s just that no one else knew, because Arthur never told anyone. And now he’s paying the price.  
  
Karma is definitely a bitch.  
  
And so Arthur smiles at her, a real, genuine smile. “Of course we can still be friends. You dating Lancelot doesn’t change anything. I’ll always care about you.”  
  
Gwen beams up at him, and she throws her arms around him, yanking him against her in a hug. He hugs her back, telling himself he has no reason to feel guilty. Technically he hasn’t done anything wrong.  
  
A door suddenly opens on the second floor landing, and Arthur instinctively looks up. Merlin is standing there, blue eyes cool and guarded, lips pressed together grimly.  
  
Arthur pulls away from Gwen, stepping away as he holds Merlin’s gaze. “Merlin – “  
  
Merlin turns on his heel and stalks back into his room, the door swinging shut behind him.  
  
Arthur slips past Gwen, not even pausing to apologize for his sudden departure. He thunders up the stairs, hellbent on getting to Merlin, but before he can, yet another door on the second floor opens, and now he’s looking straight at Lancelot.  
  
“Oh, Arthur,” Lancelot says carefully. “I didn’t know you were going to be here.”  
  
“So I keep hearing,” Arthur grumbles. “If you’ll excuse me – “  
  
“I’m so glad you decided to come out tonight! We’ve all been so worried about you, especially since, you know…”  
  
“Since you and Gwen got together?” Arthur suggests.  
  
“Yes, exactly.” Lancelot’s brows knit together in concern. On anyone else, it would look like ham acting, a fake expression of worry while masking triumph and gloating over getting the girl. But Arthur knows Lancelot is every bit as genuine as Gwen is, and so he can’t find it in himself to feel annoyed at the undue concern.  
  
“I’m fine,” he says to Lancelot. “I’m really and truly fine. I just – look, I really just need to talk to Merlin. Sort out a misunderstanding.”  
  
“Have you two been hanging out again?” Lancelot asks in surprise. “I know you two sort of had a falling out last year – “  
  
“I’ve got to talk to him,” Arthur brushes past him. “It’s about that falling out.”  
  
“After nearly a year?”  
  
“It’s imperative I speak with him. He needs to – I need him to – I need him.”  
  
Lancelot’s eyes widen in shock. “You – and him?”  
  
Arthur has just come out to Lancelot. He has just told Lancelot that he needs Merlin. And Arthur should be freaking out, should be panicking right now. But he can’t. All he feels is a sense of urgency to speak with Merlin, to tell him everything.  
  
“I need to talk to him right now.”  
  
“I just – I mean – all right.” Lancelot is clearly bewildered. He moves down the stairs, glancing back over his shoulder at Arthur with an expression of serious confusion.  
  
Maybe Arthur will explain to Lancelot later. After he explains to Merlin.  
  
Because Lancelot is right. He and Merlin had a falling out almost a year ago. A serious falling out. It was a quiet falling out, nearly invisible even to them. But it happened. Arthur knows it did. He and Merlin went from being best friends to only seeing each other when their other friends dragged them to the cinema or out to bowling. And it’s all Arthur’s fault. It’s all his fault. He and Merlin were so close…so fucking close to what they should have been. And Arthur just had to panic and ruin it. He just had to start dating Gwen, because she was pretty and nice and a  _ girl _ . And Arthur wasn’t ready to accept the truth.  
  
But now he is, and he needs Merlin to know that, even if he still hates him after tonight.  
  
Arthur thinks about knocking on Merlin’s bedroom door, but bypasses that idea. Instead he just barges in, the way he would have a year ago.  
  
Merlin is huddled on his bed in the dark, though his curtains are thrown open to let the light from the streetlamps flood across the floor and duvet. Arthur blinks a couple times, letting his eyes adjust. Merlin’s knees are pulled up to his chest, and Arthur can just make out earbuds in Merlin’s ears, telling him Merlin is listening to music to drown out the noise from downstairs.  
  
Once Arthur is in the room, he closes the door behind him and crosses the room to the bed.  
  
Merlin wordlessly pulls out the earbuds. Even in the weak light Arthur can feel Merlin’s gaze on him.  
  
“Hey,” Arthur says quietly.  
  
“Hey,” Merlin replies, just as softly.  
  
“I’d like to talk to you, if you’re okay with that.”  
  
Merlin shrugs, but places his phone and earbuds on his desk, which is crammed in right next to his bed.  
  
“May I sit?”  
  
“I s’pose.”  
  
Arthur hesitates for a moment, before sitting at the edge of Merlin’s bed. Merlin scoots over, closer to the wall, and Arthur moves farther onto the bed so that his back is against a pillow, so that he’s shoulder to shoulder with Merlin. He sets his half-empty beer can next to a mostly full mug of cold tea on the windowsill, and turns to Merlin.  
  
“I fucked up,” he begins. “I fucked up really bad.”  
  
“Which time?”  
  
“When I started dating Gwen. I know – Merlin – it ruined our friendship.”  
  
“We both got busy,” Merlin says hollowly. “You started dating Gwen – I started dating Mordred – “  
  
Arthur fights back the urge to grimace. He knows Merlin and Mordred broke up months ago, but he never liked Merlin’s most recent ex. Then again, maybe that has nothing to do with Mordred as a person, and everything to do with Arthur’s feelings for Merlin.  
  
“We just didn’t have time for each other anymore,” Merlin finishes.  
  
“That’s not true and you know it. You thought – you thought there was something there. Between us. I did too. I just – I wasn’t ready to accept it. I wasn’t ready to accept myself.”  
  
Merlin stares at him. “What the fuck?”  
  
Arthur’s stomach drops straight down to the first floor. He’s wrong. He’s been wrong for the past year. He’s been projecting this whole time, and –   
  
“You’re only saying this shit because you and Gwen are broken up, and she’s dating Lancelot,” Merlin continues on. His voice sounds calm, but there’s a quiet rage deep down, just simmering with the promise of exploding. “Fine, so maybe you’ve figured out you’re bi. Nice one. Do you want a gold star? Or a rainbow sticker? No. You don’t get to just come crawling back because you’re on the rebound. No fucking way. I won’t be your pity fuck. Your rebound bang. No. Fucking. Way.”  
  
Arthur blinks. Oh. So maybe he wasn’t quite as off about this as he thought.  
  
“Fine. Fine!” Merlin keeps going, voice growing louder with each word. “So you figured out I had a crush on you last year. Yes, Arthur, I was attracted to you! I was bloody attracted to you! But newsflash! I’m completely over it, you arrogant, obnoxious, prat-ass – mmph!” He’s cut off abruptly when Arthur suddenly crashes his lips to Merlin’s. Arthur grabs the collar of Merlin’s sweatshirt and yanks him closer, not giving Merlin a chance to think about what’s happening. For a long moment Merlin’s mouth is hard against his, angry and unyielding. And then Merlin slowly kisses him back, relaxing against Arthur’s body.  
  
Arthur licks at Merlin’s lower lip, and Merlin opens his mouth, granting Arthur entrance.  
  
But it’s not so easy. Because Arthur’s tongue suddenly meets Merlin’s, and Merlin has a year of anger and resentment and hurt under his belt. And so all of a sudden Arthur is on his back, pinned under Merlin, and Merlin is biting his lip so hard that Arthur feels the skin break. He lets out a startled whimper, half in pain, half in pleasure. And then Merlin’s tongue is in his mouth, messy and forceful as the appendage sweeps across Arthur’s teeth, twists around Arthur’s tongue, nearly shoves itself down Arthur’s throat. Merlin’s fingers slide under Arthur’s cable knit jumper, creeping along his torso. Arthur gasps against Merlin’s lips as Merlin’s thumb brushes over a sensitive nipple, and then pinches it hard.  
  
Merlin finally breaks the kiss, panting hard. He wipes his mouth, and Arthur wonders if his blood is smeared across Merlin’s lip. It should be gross, but he’s not complaining. If Merlin is reacting this strongly, it means that he still feels something for Arthur. Which means that Arthur still has a chance with him.  
  
Arthur wipes the back of his hand across his own mouth, and winces when his knuckles brush against the open wound. Merlin silently grabs a tissue from a box on his desk and dabs at Arthur’s lip for him.  
  
“I know I’m an arrogant prat-ass,” Arthur tells him once Merlin has pulled back.  
  
“You forgot obnoxious.”  
  
“Okay, I’m that too.”  
  
“You don’t get to just come running back to me,” Merlin tells him. “Just because you and Gwen are over.”  
  
“Merlin…I’m not here because of Gwen. I was into you a year ago. But…you know what my dad’s like – what most of my family is like. I was scared. I couldn’t…I wasn’t ready. But I should have told you. I should have explained it to you then, what was going on in my head. And I didn’t and I am so, so incredibly sorry. I fucked up so bad, and I know that. But if you’ll still have me, I’ll make it up to you any way I can.”  
  
Merlin sits back on his heels, his eyes scanning Arthur’s face. “ _ Any _ way you can?”  
  
“Any way.”  
  
A mischievous glint seems to appear in Merlin’s eyes, and a smirk plays around his lips. “Well, then,” he says slowly. “This could be fun, Pendragon. I hope you know what you’re getting into.”

**Author's Note:**

> I think it's safe to say that Merlin is about to put Arthur through some kinky shit 😉🤣 This was not what was supposed to happen, but Merlin had other ideas. I hope you guys liked it!


End file.
